Implantable cardioverter defibrillator infection due to Mycobacterium mageritense.

Rapidly growing non-tuberculous mycobacteria (RGM) are usually detected in blood cultures after 4-5 days of incubation, so it is important to differentiate RGM from contamination of commensal organisms on human skin. We report an unusual case of Mycobacterium mageritense bacteremia and infection of an implantable cardioverter defibrillator originally misidentified as Corynebacterium spp. or Nocardia spp.

Ablation perioperative dabigatran in use envisioning in Japan: The ABRIDGE-J Study Design.

Background: Catheter ablation has become a standard treatment strategy for drug-resistant symptomatic non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). Periprocedural administration of uninterrupted warfarin could reduce the risk of thromboembolic complications. However, only a few retrospective studies have reported on the efficacy and safety of periprocedural dabigatran use.

Developing a Performance Assessment Framework and Indicators for Communicable Disease Management in Natural Disasters.

Introduction: Communicable disease management (CDM) is an important component of disaster public health response operations. However, there is a lack of any performance assessment (PA) framework and related indicators for the PA. This study aimed to develop a PA framework and indicators in CDM in disasters.

Cervical pessary to prevent preterm birth in women with twin gestation and sonographic short cervix: a multicenter randomized controlled trial (PECEP-Twins).

Background: Spontaneous preterm birth (SPB) is the leading cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality. In twins, the rate of preterm birth is higher than in singletons; interventions to prevent preterm birth are needed in this high-risk population.

Objective: We sought to test whether a cervical pessary reduces the preterm birth rate in twin pregnancies with sonographic short cervix.

Hepatitis B surface antigen prevalence in pregnant women: A cross-sectional survey in Iran.

Background: Vertical transmission of hepatitis B virus (HBV) from infected mothers to their neonates is one of the most important routes of infection. The exact prevalence rate of HBV in Iranian pregnant mothers is not well known but based on different studies it is estimated between 0.35% and 6.

Physical examination-indicated cerclage in singleton and twin pregnancies: maternal-fetal outcomes.

Objectives: To study maternal and perinatal outcomes after physical examination-indicated cerclage in both singleton and twin pregnancies and evaluate the possible risk factors associated.

Study Design: Retrospective review of all women undergoing physical examination-indicated cerclage at the Hospital Vall d'Hebro, Barcelona from January 2009 to December 2012 after being diagnosed with cervical incompetence and risk of premature birth.

Results: During the study period, 60 cases of women diagnosed with cervical incompetence who were carrying live and morphologically-normal fetuses (53 singleton and 7 twin pregnancies), and who had an imminent risk of premature birth were evaluated.

Predictors of obstetric complications in women with heart disease.

Objectives: The objective of this study is to evaluate obstetric outcomes in women with heart disease and determine whether current multidisciplinary management approaches adversely affect the mother, the neonate, or both. Also to compare the accuracy of several risk scores (RS) including the modified World Health Organization classification (mWHO) and CARPREG to predict obstetric and neonatal complications and to study the addition value of Uteroplacental-Doppler flow (UDF) parameters to predict obstetric complications.

Methods: A prospective cohort study examined outcomes in women with heart disease (HD), the majority of whom had corrective surgery and delivered between January 2007 and March 2012.

Long-term outcomes of catheter ablation of ventricular tachycardia in patients with structural heart disease.

Background: Catheter ablation of ventricular tachycardia (VT) is feasible. However, the long-term outcomes for different underlying diseases have not been well defined.

Methods: Eighty-eight consecutive patients who underwent catheter ablation of VT using a three-dimensional mapping system were analyzed.

Cardiac complications during pregnancy are better predicted with the modified WHO risk score.

Background/objective: Several risk scores (RSs) have been used to stratify risk of cardiac complications (CCs) in pregnant patients with heart disease. We aimed to compare and contrast the accuracy of several RSs for predicting CC in this population.

Methods: Prospective inclusion of all consecutive pregnant patients with heart disease, and follow-up until 6 months postpartum.

Importance of nonpulmonary vein foci in catheter ablation for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.

Background: Pulmonary vein (PV) isolation is an established treatment strategy for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF). However, the recurrence rate of PAF is 8% to 37%, despite repeated procedures, and the catheter ablation strategy for PAF with non-PV foci is unclear.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the PAF ablation strategy for non-PV foci.

Performance Assessment of a Communicable Disease Surveillance System in Response to the Twin Earthquakes of East Azerbaijan.

Objective: Following the twin earthquakes on August 11, 2012, in the East Azerbaijan province of Iran, the provincial health center set up a surveillance system to monitor communicable diseases. This study aimed to assess the performance of this surveillance system.

Methods: In this quantitative-qualitative study, performance of the communicable diseases surveillance system was assessed by using the updated guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Preferential Pathway Pacing within the Aortic Sinus of Valsalva: Strong Evidence for the Existence of Preferential Conduction with Different Exit Sites Traversing the Ventricular Septum.

A 57-year-old male who presented with frequent ventricular premature contraction (VPC) was referred for catheter ablation. Two different QRS morphologies (VPC1 and VPC2) were recorded. Pace mapping at the right ventricular outflow (RVOT) was identical to VPC1 without latency.

Performance assessment of communicable disease surveillance in disasters: a systematic review.

Background: This study aimed to identify the indices and frameworks that have been used to assess the performance of communicable disease surveillance (CDS) in response to disasters and other emergencies, including infectious disease outbreaks.

Method: In this systematic review, PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, ScienceDirect, ProQuest databases and grey literature were searched until the end of 2013. All retrieved titles were examined in accordance with inclusion criteria.

Severe iatrogenic bradycardia related to the combined use of beta-blocking agents and sodium channel blockers.

Purpose: Drug-induced bradycardia is common during antiarrhythmic therapy; the major culprits are beta-blockers. However, whether other antiarrhythmic drugs are also a significant cause of this, alone or in combination with beta-blockers, is not well known.

Methods: We retrospectively investigated the records of all patients hospitalized at our institution for drug-related bradycardia from the years 2004 to 2012.

Impact of the bifurcation angle on major cardiac events after cross-over single stent strategy in unprotected left main bifurcation lesions: 3-dimensional quantitative coronary angiographic analysis.

The impact of the bifurcation angle (BA) between the left main (LM) and the main branch on clinical outcomes after single stenting has never been documented. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the impact of the BA on clinical outcomes after single cross-over LM to left anterior descending artery (LAD) stenting. A total of 170 patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in unprotected LM bifurcation with successful single cross-over stenting from the LM into the LAD were enrolled.

Potential conservation of circadian clock proteins in the phylum Nematoda as revealed by bioinformatic searches.

Although several circadian rhythms have been described in C. elegans, its molecular clock remains elusive. In this work we employed a novel bioinformatic approach, applying probabilistic methodologies, to search for circadian clock proteins of several of the best studied circadian model organisms of different taxa (Mus musculus, Drosophila melanogaster, Neurospora crassa, Arabidopsis thaliana and Synechoccocus elongatus) in the proteomes of C.

Antenatal corticosteroids and perinatal outcomes in infants born at 23-25 weeks of gestation.

Objectives: To evaluate the perinatal results of infants born between 23 and 25.6 weeks of gestation.

Methods: Medical charts of all women giving birth prematurely (23-25.

Early occlusion control of the intrapericardial inferior vena cava under femoral-femoral extracorporeal circulation using a technique to prevent pulmonary embolism during nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma with tumor thrombus: two case reports.

Background: Renal cell carcinoma with tumor thrombus extension into the inferior vena cava occurs in approximately 5% of cases. Despite such situations, an aggressive surgical approach is recommended. However, intraoperative prevention of pulmonary embolism by a fragmended tumor thrombus is necessary.

Suppressive effects of standard-dose rosuvastatin therapy on the progression of coronary atherosclerosis in Japanese patients: the APOLLO study.

Aim: We used quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) to investigate whether coronary plaque progression can be inhibited by controlling lipids with rosuvastatin at Japanese standard doses following elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods: A total of 143 patients who underwent elective PCI were randomized to either the rosuvastatin (5 or 2.5mg/day) or non-statin group.

Twin pregnancy among women with pregestational type 1 or type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Objective: To assess the impact of twin versus singleton pregnancy on obstetric and perinatal outcomes among women with pregestational diabetes mellitus (DM).

Methods: Multicenter retrospective cohort study of women with pregestational DM and twin or singleton pregnancy, conducted in Spain during 2005-2010. Each group included 63 women (type 1 DM, n=39; type 2 DM, n=24).

Maternal and foetal angiogenic imbalance in congenital heart defects.

Aims: Animal models showed that angiogenesis is related to abnormal heart development. Our objectives were to ascertain whether a relationship exists between congenital heart defects (CHDs) and angiogenic/anti-angiogenic imbalance in maternal and foetal blood and study the expression of angiogenic factors in the foetal heart.

Methods And Results: Maternal and cord blood placental growth factor (PlGF), soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1) and soluble endoglin (sEng) were compared in 65 cases of CHD and 204 normal controls.

Expectant management in pregnant women with early and severe preeclampsia and concomitant risk factors.

Aim: The aim of this study was to demonstrate that women with severe early-onset preeclampsia and concomitant risk factors benefit from expectant management.

Methods: This retrospective study was conducted between January 2009 and December 2010. Stable women with severe preeclampsia between 23+6 and 33+6weeks of gestation were admitted to the IOCU for conservative management.

Ventricular tachycardia originating from a heart-shaped idiopathic left ventricular aneurysm diagnosed on a three-dimensional electroanatomical mapping system integrated with CT imaging.

Idiopathic left ventricular aneurysms and diverticula (LVA/Ds) are rare cardiac malformations that can be detected using certain imaging techniques. Although most patients with these malformations are clinically asymptomatic, some patients exhibit cardiac arrhythmias and other clinical manifestations. In electrophysiological studies, it is often difficult to establish the relationship between clinical manifestations of cardiac arrhythmias and those of LVA/Ds due to anatomical complexities.